Cowboys coach brings in U.Va. players

CHARLOTTESVILLE John Phillips and Kevin Ogletree are Texas-bound this week. Would they be participating in the Dallas Cowboys' rookie mini-camp had John Garrett not spoken so highly of them?

Maybe so. But Garrett's praise didn't hurt.

Garrett, the Cowboys' tight end coach, was an assistant at the University of Virginia when Phillips and Ogletree enrolled there as freshmen in 2005. As U.Va.'s wide receivers coach, Garrett worked directly with Ogletree in'05 and'06 before leaving to join the Cowboys' staff.

Dallas drafted Phillips, a 6-5, 251-pound tight end, in the sixth round Sunday. Ogletree, a 6-1, 196-pound wideout, signed a free agent contract with the Cowboys that night.

"It was a pleasure for me to recommend them and talk about them to the Dallas Cowboys," Garrett said by phone Monday. "They represent great character."

Garrett's brother, Jason, is the Cowboys' offensive coordinator. Jason and the rest of the coaching staff listened closely when John discussed Phillips' and Ogletree's strengths and weaknesses.

"Whenever you can get information on a player, all aspects -- character, intangibles, intelligence, ability -- first-hand, it validates it," John Garrett said. "It's first-hand information, not second-hand. They said, 'Well, let's just find out from the guy who coached them.' It's a natural thing."

The Cowboys' minicamp begins with a meeting Friday night. Two practices Saturday and two more Sunday will follow. Neither Phillips nor Ogletree comes in with the accolades of a first-round pick, but each will have a legitimate opportunity, Garrett said, to make the team.

"Obviously, when you're picked later or as a free agent, it's a little bit harder," Garrett said. "But it's hard for everybody. You don't get preferential treatment after the first day. The top draft choices get more money than the later draft choices, but once you're here, if that free agent is better than the draft choice, that guy's going to make the team."

Ogletree was stunned that no NFL team drafted him. But he quickly agreed to a free agent deal with Dallas, in part because of his relationship with Garrett, according to Joe Flanagan, Ogletree's agent. Garrett's presence in Dallas excited Phillips, too.

"I've known him for a while," Phillips said, "and he's always been a great guy and great coach."

Garrett remembers the Cavaliers' first day in pads during training camp in August 2005. Virginia coach Al Groh challenged his players to make a positive impression in a kickoff-coverage drill.

"Well, John raced down there, knocked over a guy and tackled the kickoff returner inside the 20," Garrett recalled with a laugh. "I mean, he just smashed into the wedge, and we were like, 'Who is this guy?'

"John Phillips loves football, he loves to compete. . . . He is just sort of intangibly the consummate player that Al Groh wants in his program: a smart, tough, reliable, dependable player who loves football."

Ogletree, who graduated in December, left U.Va. with a season of eligibility remaining. He's a talented receiver, but pass-catching skills alone may not be enough to earn him a spot on the roster.

Garrett's advice to free agents such as Ogletree?

"You got to volunteer for everything. You want to be on every special team. You want to get as many opportunities and as many looks to increase your chances of being noticed so you can make an impression and make the football team," Garrett said.